The leader of the city council was paid nearly &#xA3;30,000 a year last year - more than the average wage, new figures reveal.

Nick Nolan, who stood down as leader in May, a month after the close of the financial year, was paid a total of &#xA3;29,994 in allowances.

That does not include any travel expenses which he was paid during the year, a figure which the city council has not yet released.

His deputy, the current leader Cllr John Mutton, was also paid just above the average wage, with allowances of &#xA3;24,637.

Cabinet members were paid &#xA3;19,282, the five Labour chairs of scrutiny boards were paid &#xA3;16,068 and the leader of the opposition &#xA3;13,925.

Backbench councillors with no special responsibilities were paid &#xA3;10,712 for the financial year running to the end of March 2003. These include the three Socialist councillors who have always said they would not accept more than the average wage.

Cllr Mutton, who gave up his job running milk rounds because of the pressure of work preparing the council's budgets when he was deputy leader, said: "These allowances are designed to cover costs incurred by councillors for their work, such as surgeries, and also to cover time off from their paid employment, where applicable.

"Because they are paid for by public money, and because we are democratically elected members, it is only right and proper that these figures are made available for the public to examine."

Conservative leader of the opposition Cllr Ken Taylor - who hopes to be leader of the council after the next elections - said: "These guys are working practically full-time running a 16,000-employee organisation and I think they're paid about right."

He said the independent review of allowances carried out a couple of years ago suggested even higher payments.